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Housebreaking your Havanese

Havanese, like many toy breeds, may tend to be a bit
slower to housebreak. This does not mean
difficult or impossible, just that the process may take more time. Consistency is the key. On
average, Most Havanese are reliable by 6-7 months of age. There are many different ways to
house train your puppy. Bell training is a popular method among Havanese
owners.

If you would like to bell train your Havanese; first choose
a bell to use. My choice is a few 1 inch
bells tied onto a long cord with a loop on the end hung next to the door. Other choices are
medium bells on a ribbon or strap or small chimes. The bells should be hung by the door at the
dogs nose level. For doors where you can't hang bells ( ie: sliding glass doors) other options are
desk bells or buzzers or an actual door bell on the floor - battery operated or permanently
wired. Hanging bells are usually rung with the nose while floor bells are usually rung with the
paw. Most bells are very portable and easy to take along when travelling or visiting.

NOTE OF CAUTION - When choosing a bell for a
Havanese or other Toy dog, be sure to
choose an open style cow bell (as in the photo) rather than a closed round style bell. A small dog
can all too easily get a claw caught in a round bell if they ring with a paw. An Open bell will be
safest. If you do choose to use round bells you may wish to enclose them in a small bag for
additional protection. Chimes are another option.

After choosing your bell, the next
step is to teach your Havanese what the bells mean. There are
at least three ways to go about it. With puppies, a good way is to set up your bells by the door
and every time you go out with the puppy you ring the bells. Gently bump the bell with the
puppy's nose or paw. If you are really in a rush, just ring the bell with your foot on the way by.
In no time at all, your Havanese puppy will learn to associate the sound with the door opening
and going outside. And then one day, they ring it themselves and you reinforce the behaviour
from there. Puppies are great as you take them out so often.

A 2nd method is to start by teaching your Havanese to ring
a bell as a trick. Hold the bell in
front of their nose. Most dogs will bump it to see what it is. Praise and reward. Then do it again
a few more times. They will start to ring the bell. Do this several times over a day or two, and
soon your Havanese will be doing it on command. If your Havanese already knows the
command "touch" it will be even easier. Once your Havanese is ringing the bell on command,
next, place the bell at the door and ask them to ring it before you let them out. They will quickly
understand what you want them to do.

A 3rd method is the lazy way and involves very little effort
on your part. All it requires is an
already bell trained dog. The experienced dog does all the training by example. As they ring the
bell to go out, the younger puppy or new dog quickly learns to follow and then starts to run to
the door each time it rings. Eventually they also start ringing it themselves. This method can be
reinforced by the two first methods to make it go even faster but it does work all on its
own.

At some point in the bell training, your Havanese will
"click" as to what the bell means. At this
point, they may ring the bell incessantly. This is when they are really locking in the behaviour
and so its important that you let them out each and every time. Soon they will ring the bell only
to go out. BUT, that may not only be if they need to go potty, they may also ring to
ask to go out
to investigate a sound , or to go play or just to go outside. Housebreaking your Havanese need
not be an exercise in frustration. Bell training is just one method you can use. Give it a try, and
see.

Litter training

Toilet training your Havanese is any training which teaches
your pet to keep your house clean and to eliminate in
an appropriate area. For some people, conventional housebreaking is not the best option. Litter
box training may be
a practical alternative for a number of situations including apartment/condominium dwellers,
senior citizens and
people who travel extensively with their dog.

Havanese are versatile little dogs who adapt easily to many different lifestyles and are just as
suitable for apartment/condo dwellers as they are for urban houses or rural environments. As a
family living in a condo, we chose litter box training our Havanese for many reasons. We work
full time and wanted our Havanese to be able to relieve themselves anytime without having to
wait till we get home. The use of a litter box has the added benefit of saving our yard from the
dead grass spots common to dog owners' yards. As Condo dwellers, we share a common yard
with our neighbours. The dogs may not go out on their own and must always be accompanied,
which can be awkward and inconvenient at times. We especially appreciate the indoor facilities
in inclement weather and during our harsh prairie winters.

Litter box training is easily accomplished. Litter pans are
readily available at pet supply stores
in assorted sizes and materials. We chose a large moulded plastic pan as it is sturdy and easy to
clean. Dog pans are quite a bit larger than cat pans; don't pick one which is too small.

You will also need disposable absorbent material to line
your pan. There are several types of dog
litter and liners available. What works best for us are disposable hospital absorbent pads
(available from medical supply houses). These pads remain neatly in the litter box and are easily
folded and discarded in a trash bag. The pads also allow faeces to be removed with toilet paper
and flushed in the toilet rather than "scooping". Absorbent pads are "travel friendly"and can
easily be used in airports, hotels or anywhere that outdoor access is not readily available.
Enzyme treated pads are unnecessary and also rather expensive long term though they may be
useful for the initial training of young puppies. Another option is to put a piece of sod in the
litter pan so your Havanese has grass to eliminate on, either indoors or on a balcony. Sod must
be watered regularly and changed every few months. Pellets/litter are available but perhaps not
the best option for Havanese except as young puppies. The long luscious Havanese coat picks up
an amazing amount of debris which you will then find scattered throughout your home,
meaning extra housekeeping and grooming time. Some people choose newspaper to line the
litter box. While useful in an emergency, newspaper is less than ideal as it is not especially
absorbent, can be quite messy with the added problem of ink transfer to the dogs' coat. Another
issue is that your dog may then view any newspaper left laying around anywhere as
a potential
toilet.

When litter box training your Havanese; location is very
important. Choose a spot which is
readily accessible to your Havanese but out of traffic areas and well removed from sleeping and
eating areas. The litter box training method is the same as any other; take your Havanese to the
litter box frequently then praise and reward for eliminating in the right place. Litter box
training in no way discourages the Havanese from eliminating outdoors. When on an outing,
they will detect smells and eliminate instinctively. In fact, most will prefer to potty outside when
possible.